There was another “Slow food ” activity today. This one was a sugaring off party at a Bio farm.
Let me explain. Sugaring off parties are a tradition at this time of the year. They are held in sugar shacks, some of them are the real thing where sap is actually collected, carried to the sugar shack and boiled but most of them are just rustic halls with kitchens and heavy-duty sound systems. The farm we went to does have a maple grove, but the trees had not yet started running so there was no boiling going on. The dining hall and kitchen were a bit makeshift and very cold.
The food served at such events seldom varies. It consists of pea soup, ham, potatoes, omelets, baked beans, pieces of pork rind called “oreilles de crises”, thick bread, a variety of marinades and for dessert, pancakes or maple tarts or dumplings. After the meal you step outside to have the maple taffy, which is poured boiling over snow. You stick a piece of wood in it and roll. You end up with a marvelous maple taffy lollipop. Some people like to wander among the trees and collect a bit of sap and mix it with gin… it is a very effective laxative…
As for the farm, it is certified “bio” because it respects a set of rules regarding pest and weed controls, farming techniques, animal feeding and treatment. This one has both vegetable farming and animals. The animals include chickens for meat and hens for eggs, beef for meat and cows for milk. Choosing to maintain a bio farm is a bit like keeping a kosher home, you must believe in it because it is definitely not a profitable option.
We are told ad nauseam that bio food tastes better because it is the ingredients’ “real” taste. I wonder if this is snobbism or if I am just an ignorant consumer. Not only do I not notice a difference between bio eggs and regular ones or grain fed and hormone fed animals but also I found the meal we had to be awful. I am all for ecologically sound and equitable farming but I am a cook not a farmer and my concern is preparing meals that are both healthy and taste good. This experience was not convincing.